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students of color achieve at the same rate as white students.

What We're Doing

We're working with the Schools of Hope partners to eliminate the racial achievement gap and improve the educational success all of students in our schools. The number one strategy used by this partnership is to place volunteer tutors in schools to provide one-on-one interaction with students.

• 3^rd Grade Reading
  Research tells us that the most reliable predictor of educational success for children is whether they are reading at grade level by the end of 3^rd grade. In 1995, there was a 21 percent difference in the success rates of white students and students of color in Madison. Together with the Schools of Hope partners, we reduced the gap to 2 percent by the end of the 2004 school year. By focusing on a specific target, we were able to elicit community-wide change and improve the lives of all children.

• Algebra by 10^th Grade
  Currently, the gap between the percentage of white students and African American students who have completed algebra by 10^th grade is 32 percent. According to research, a child from a low-income family who completes algebra has virtually the same chance of going to college as a child from an upper-income family who passes the course. It's not about the math, it's about learning to solve problems. In 2005, every ethnic group showed an increase in the percentage of students completing Algebra by 10^th grade, with African American students showing the most dramatic improvement.

• Expanding our Impact
  We're expanding the success of Schools of Hope into areas outside of Madison by working to reduce the racial achievement gap in Sun Prairie and Verona. In Sun Prairie, within the first six months of the program, 50 volunteer tutors were recruited and trained, helping 98 students improve their reading skills. As we work together to create solutions for all of Dane County, we are empowering students to succeed in school and in life.

Schools of Hope Partners

• 100 Black Men

• Centro Hispano

• CUNA Mutual Group Foundation

• Dane County Executive Office

• Dane County Juvenile Court

• Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce

• Madison Area Technical College

• Madison Community Foundation

• Madison Jewish Community Council

• Madison Metropolitan School District

• Madison Teachers, Inc

• Mayor, City of Madison

• MMSD Board of Education

• Parents

• RSVP of Dane County

• Sun Prairie Area School District

• University of Wisconsin School of Education

• Urban League of Greater Madison

• Verona Area School District

• WISC TV-3

• Wisconsin State Journal

Program Partners

• Atwood Community Center

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County

• Boys & Girls Club of Dane County

• By Youth for Youth

• Cambridge Area Youth Center

• Centro Hispano of Dane County

• Children's Service Society of Wisconsin

• Deerfield Community Center

• East Madison Community Center

• Family Service

• Girl Scouts of the Black Hawk Council

• Kennedy Heights Community Center

• Madison Children's Museum

• Madison School Community Recreation

• Marshall Area Community and Youth Center

• McFarland Youth Resource Center

• Nehemiah Community Development Corporation

• Neighborhood House Community Center

• RSVP of Dane County

• Salvation Army

• Simpson Street Free Press

• Stoughton Youth Center

• Urban League of Greater Madison

• Vera Court Neighborhood Center

• Wexford Ridge Community Center

• Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center

• Y.W.C.A. of Madison

• YMCA of Dane County Inc.

• Youth Services of Southern Wisconsin

Community Partners

• American Family Insurance

• Anchorbank

• Cambridge Bank

• City of Madison Community Services

• City of Stoughton

• CUNA Credit Union

• CUNA Mutual Group - Lend a Hand Campaign

• Dane County Credit Union

• Dane County Department of Human Services-Youth Commission

• The Douglas Stewart Company

• Greenway Center Properties

• Guaranty Bank

• Heartland Credit Union

• Home Savings and Loan

• Madison Civics Club

• Madison Credit Union

• Madison Metropolitan School District

• McFarland School District

• M&I Bank

• Oscar Mayer/Kraft Foods

• Post Office Credit Union

• Summit Credit Union

• Tobacco Free Dane County Coalition, Inc.

• Verizon Foundation

• WEA Credit Union